The Red Tower
The Red Tower is the lowest Camoran tower. It has 36 inhabitable rings, all of which are pretty crowded. There are some very poor areas - slums, really - on the lower rings that are both arguably the most densely populated areas and arguably those that seem the quietest. No one argues that they're the most dangerous. Nevertheless, the Red Tower has a lot of life of its own. The crowded nature of the place has pushed people to plan neighborhood gardens, let their children play in the street, and rely on their neighbors, so despite the dangers of this tower, people tend to be friendly. The Red Tower is famously hard on the drogher, perhaps because the Red Tower is the last rung above the grey towers. The closeness is palpable in certain senses, and the Red citizens resent the drogher for their constant reminder. Everything here tends to be just a little more worn-down, though it's all still serviceable. The light comes from tiny fragments of skyshards, many of which have just been stuck into the walls, so it's fairly dim on most streets. In the worst places, the skyshards have dimmed to almost nothing, making them popular haunts for the less-than-legal crowd. Nicknames Nicknames in the Red Tower are ubiquitous. Next to no one goes by their given name in their everyday lives, and those that do are considered a bit pretentious. This is not to say that given names have NO place in Red Tower society - they're just far more private. Family occasionally uses given names when no one else is around, and the day someone shares their given name with you is a milestone in any kind of relationship. Nicknames can and often do change over time. Many childhood nicknames are cutsey or a little embarrassing, but are not kept past 16 at the latest. Some people choose their own nicknames, but it's more customary to receive one from those around you. Crime The Red Tower is dangerous, without question. The guards don't have enough money and manpower to patrol all the rings very well, so large portions of the tower are left to legalistically fend for themselves. Gangs and other criminal or shady organisations have sprung up to fill the power vacuum, and most neighborhoods have some kind of connection to one group or another. Most people who stay in their own neighborhoods and don't look for trouble won't find any. Commerce The Red Tower is the lowest-income of the towers, and doesn't have much by way of inter-tower trade. Most of the shops in this tower are designed with the the Red citizens in mind. Low-level apothecaries, hedge wizards, and simple craftsmen are the most common merchants in Red. There is very little by way of universities, libraries, etc. until you get to the top 4 rings, at which point a single university and 2 primary schools (and their associated libraries) can be found. Physical appearance The Red Tower has a physical "type" that has developed in it. This is not to say that all Red Tower citizens have the same look to them - they don't - but there are commonalities present in those who have lived here for generations. You don't need to subsribe to these guidelines, but by not doing so, you'll stand out. This isn't necessarily a good or bad thing, it's just true. The Red Tower phenotype tends to be dull in comparison to the rest of the towers, and includes colours like dull blues, bruise purples, slate greys, bronzes, irons, swamp greens, and other earth-tones. Generally, anything within or slightly outside of the range of Earth's hair/eye colours or any other dull colour is common to the Red Tower. The only exception to this is very light blondes or very bright reds, both of which are more common elsewhere. Fashion Red Tower fashion tends to err on the side of cheap and warm, since this is the coldest tower. As such, layers are always popular, and wools and furs the most desirable materials. Fur accents are a simple way to look richer than you are, and fur touches on other accessories will always class them up. Clothing is almost all unisex. Scarves are one of the staples in the Red Tower, mostly because they're warm but also because they're very readily customizable. People will often have several scarves the way someone might have several handbags or several jackets, and with a similar import placed upon them. Not all scarves have those personal touches, of course (and not all personal touches are very visible), but everyone wishes theirs did. Jewelery is usually made from inexpensive metals, stones, or weaves. You almost never see wooden jewelery here, and if you do, it's quite a sign of wealth. Rings worn after the first fingerjoint (rather than the second) are popular, and offer a good way to keep a ring given in childhood throughout one's life. Beards are almost always in style, in large part thanks to their warming capabilities. Hair is usually around shoulder length for both men and women, as that leaves it long enough to warm the back of one's neck and short enough to not get in the way of manual work. Makeup is fairly uncommon.